Vulnerability analysis of interdependent spatially embedded infrastructure networks under localized attack

Infrastructure networks are usually spatially embedded, which makes them even more susceptible to spatially localized failures, i.e. a set of nodes located within a spatially localized area is subject to damage while other nodes do not directly fail. This paper mainly presents a methodological approach for analyzing vulnerability of interdependent infrastructure networks under localized attack. Two types of interdependencies are considered in the cascading failures propagation: functional and geographic interdependencies. The roles of different nodes and geographical proximity are employed to establish the functional interdependency. A novel attack failure model, i.e. localized failure model, is proposed to model geographic interdependency and quantify the failure probabilities of nodes under localized attack. Both topology-based and efficiency-based vulnerabilities of infrastructure networks are investigated. An artificial interdependent power and water networks are generated and their pertinent vulnerability is analyzed through using the presented methodological approach. Our method can help the stakeholders increase their knowledge of the vulnerability of the interdependent spatially embedded infrastructure networks under localized attack and protect them more efficiently.